Gayle Brennan Spencer – sending random thoughts to and from San Antonio

Tag Archives: bologna

Okay, the biannual roundup of what posts you read most during the past year is not exciting, but it always interests me.

As usual, he Alamo floats up near the top. While lots of you read my “Dear Mayor” post, it seemed to have little impact at City Hall despite its direct delivery to the inboxes of the 11. I actually was writing about the Alamo some yesterday, slipping Alamo politics into the historic fiction manuscript on which I am focusing. The passionate stands and debates about the Alamo and its plaza a century ago differ little from those of today.

You hold the King William neighborhood and Brackenridge Park dear as well. And am hoping some of our recent travels help serve as inspiration or guides for yours.

The numbers in parentheses represent the rankings from six months ago:

Rightfully, Bologna is renowned for its food. And, although this postcard is a bit belated, I’d hate to leave one with the impression our only recommendation for those traveling there is E’ Cucina Leopardi. We truly did venture away from our favorite spot… sometimes.

The lack of pretension accompanied by a comfortable, casual hospitality made the small farm-to-table Osteria Marsalino a favorite. Bruschetta and daily pastas were ever-changing based on what was fresh and the chef’s mood. Our food always was perfect, and the complimentary aperitif at the end of the meal contributed to our loyalty.

Fresh organic products are stressed at the always bustling Alce Nero Berbere. One lunchtime option is to order the daily vegetable assortment, consisting of five or six separate small plates of varying salads, greens, beans and/or roasted seasonal fare. There is a movement afoot among chefs in Italy, which we first encountered at Borgo 20 in Parma, to fret about digesting pizza dough. Although we never have noticed this to be a problem, we certainly again enjoyed the results at Berbere.

One of the principal characteristics of Berberè pizza is the substitution of leavening with natural maturation: we don’t use chemical yeast, but rather living sourdough. This maturation process lasts at least 24 hours at room temperature and not in the refrigerator (hence it is “slow” pizza). Thanks to the skill of our pizzaioli and their passion for what they do, the quality of the base dough obtained with the starter and semi-whole grain stone-ground flours guarantees a high digestibility and a distinctive flavor, while the selection and mixture of flours other than wheat (spelt, enkir, kamut) offers alternatives that are interesting and diverse from an organoleptic point of view. Berberè’s pizza is therefore lighter, healthier, and better. And to optimize the digestibility of the pizza, the chefs at Berberè have successfully experimented with an innovative fermentation method, completely free of yeast, based on the physical process of starch hydrolysis.

Gusto Piano torta al testo

Pene Vino “grilled vegetable plate”

grilled vegetable sandwich

Marsalino pasatelli

Alce Nero Berbere vegetable lunch

Marsalino pasta

Gusto Piano radicchio and pear salad

risotto

Alce Nero Berbere grilled calamari

Taj Mahal liqueurs

Marsalino waiting line

Alce Nero Berbere anchovy pizza

farro salad

cured salmon

Alce Nero Berbere zucchini ricotta pizza

Pane Vino tuna salad

Taj Mahal

Alce Nero Berbere pizza

Marsalino gnocchi

Marsalino orrichette with eggplant

Taj Mahal

Marsalino bruschetta

Taj Mahal condiments

eggplant pizza

Pane Vino prosciutto

Alce Nero Berbere

grilled pulpo

grilled vegetables

roasted eggplant

Alce Nero Berbere

pasta Bolgnese

Marsalino grilled vegetables

We followed a herd of locals to get the prosciutto in which residents of Emilia-Romagna take such pride. After ordering an appetizer plate laden with the thinly sliced ham, we ordered what we thought was a plate of grilled vegetables at Pane Vino e San Daniele. What we didn’t realize is that bountiful servings of prosciutto cover everything on almost every dish, including the vegetables.

Of course, we enjoyed many pizzas, grilled vegetables, pastas, risottos and panini elsewhere in our wanderings throughout our month-long stay. But, not to offend the Bolognese, we did break away from the regional cuisine several times. For Indian food. Ristorante Indiano Taj Mahal rewarded us well for it. The Indian dishes were much better than what we have encountered in San Antonio and, as a bonus, represented an incredible bargain. And the owner was so friendly and gracious for our patronage.

Jumping back now to our task at hand, figuring out where we want to eat lunch in Campeche. A whole different world.